So, You're A Child of God!

S0 - You’re A Child of God

 

Intro.

A. There is a sense in which everyone is a child of God - by creation (Acts 17:28,29).

B. In another sense:

1. Some are children of Satan (Jn. 8:44; Rom. 6:16).

2. Others have, by re-creation, become children of God (Jn. 1:12,13; Gal. 3:26,27; Eph. 2:10).

C. So - you are a child of God! What does that mean to you?

 

Body:

A. It means you have God as a Father.

1. It is the result of God’s love (1 Jn. 3:1-3).

a. It is referred to as a birth (1 Jn. 3:9; 1 Pet. 1:3,22-25).

b. It is referred to as adoption (Gal. 4:4,5; Eph. 1:5). (We were sons of the devil, but Christians are those adopted into God’s family.)

2. It means we have a perfect Father (Mt. 7:-11).

a. Parents make mistakes; we can look back and see mistakes our parents made and our

children will be a able to do the same.

b. Our spiritual Father makes no mistakes (Heb. 12:5-10).

c. We can depend on Him (Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 5:7).  Child is not afraid when puts hand

into father’s hand. We must learn proper balance between self-dependance and

dependance upon God. (There are problems we cannot handle; but He expects us to

handle the ones we can.)

3. It means never being an orphan (Jn. 14:18).

a. We will die, but will not be separated from Father (Mt. 22:31,32; Rom. 8:38,39).

b. Our Father cannot die. (Preacher, Jerry Ray, 36 yrs. old; nurse told him he could tell

his children good-bye and she would give him a shot to relieve the pain - slept into his death. Earthly fathers die - this one’s children became hippies, dishonored their father’s name; God is not dead and we should never dishonor His name.

4. It means we have an inheritance.

a. Heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:29,7; 4:7).

b. Joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16,17).

 

B. It means you are in business with God.

1. We do not want to invest in a shaky business. (A preacher invested $20,000 in insurance

company that went broke; probably $19,000 came from his wife - but lost it all; but was simply material loss that could be replaced.)

2. Jesus said “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Lk. 2:49).

3. The kingdom is likened to a vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16).

a. It is a privilege as well as obligation to be in business with God.

b. We are not co-owners (with right to dictate policies), but servants, sharing in the

Lord’s work.

4. What is our part in the Lord’s business?

a. Worship in spirit and truth - God is the object (Jn. 4:23,24; 1 Cor. 14:15).

 

b. Service - man is the object (Lk. 10:25-37; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before- hand that we should walk in them.”

 

C. We are citizens of heaven.

1. We are sojourners here (1 Pet. 2:11), but citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20,21).

2. We lay up treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:19-21). (We can’t take it with us - but we can send

it ahead!)

3. We should have the desire to go home for retirement (Phil. 1:23).

 

D. The Bible is a letter from home.

1. How do we treat mail from home - when away?

2. The only way we know the Father’s will is through His letters (1 Cor. 2:9-13).

a. Agnostic teacher asked if anyone believed stuff in the Bible. Student said “yes, I do.”

Teacher said “I have read it and it made no sense.” That’s what you get for reading other people’s mail! (Have you ever read a letter from your spouse’s family - all the aunts and uncles, etc?) Different when from my family!

b. Ps. 1:1-3; Eph. 3:3-5

 

Conclusion:

If you are not in God’s family - none of these are yours. (God is not your Father, not in business that will never fail, not citizen of heavenly country and do not consider the Bible as a letter from home. If you lose your soul - all is lost (1 Tim. 6:7).